Change, even for the better, brings consequence. With the release of Mac OS X 10.5.6 Apple targeted problems problems related to graphics performance, security and stability. Among the components targeted for improvement are AirPort, MobileMe, Time Machine, and networking performance. Unfortunately and unsurprisingly, these are the components with which users are having the most probles after the update.
Pre-Installation--hangs and more
As reported yesterday, some people are experiencing problems with the installation process for the Mac OS X 10.5.6 update. Although Software Update presents the appropriate update file, many users are experiencing hangs resulting in the update never completing. As also noted yesterday: for some users, this occurs during the "configuring setup" step, and the system never goes into the actual update mode. Other users have reported errors stating the update cannot be installed because it encountered an error, as well as "validation" errors for the update files. For the most part, these problems have occurred with the delta updater.
Fix For most of these situations, users can fix the issue by downloading and applying the standalone "Combo" update. This edition includes all updated files since the release of 10.5.0, and as such will ensure all files are properly accounted for in the system. It is recommended that users update by downloading the combo update and then boot into Safe mode. When in Safe mode, run a permissions fix and drive check using Disk Utility, and install once those are completed.
Post-Installation--the infamous startup loop
Although the update should cause the computer to reset twice, several users have reported computers going into the infamous startup loop, in which the system endlessly boot and make the boot chimes, then reset and chime again after the white screen. Unfortunately this problem may indicate a major corruption in the boot drive.
Potential fix Run a disk and permissions repair Boot off the Leopard DVD and after selecting the language, open "Disk Utility" from the "Utilities" menu and run a permissions and disk repair on the boot drive. Hopefully this will fix the problem. Additionally, users with third-party drive repair tools (such as TechTool or Disk Warrior) might try booting off those repair disks and diagnose the drive. If these do not work, then users may have to reinstall their operating system using the "Archive and Install" method which will preserve user data and settings. This might require users to reinstall some software packages, but it is probably the easiest option.
A few users are noticing the system is creating a loud pop sound after installing the updates. This happens during the boot process, right when the system begins to load after the grey screen. It could be a problem with the computer switching audio inputs to the headphone jack, as internal speakers do not seem to make this pop, but devices plugged into the headphone jacks will.
Fixes
- Reboot with no devices plugged in Some users have corrected this problem by rebooting with no audio devices connected. This seems to clear the problem, though has not worked for all users.
- Reset PRAM It may be possible this problem is from a PRAM setting, and resetting the PRAM might help. To do this, reboot and hold the options-command-P-R keys all at once until the system resets and chimes a few times. Then release the keys and allow the computer to boot normally.
Bluetooth
Several users have experienced a problem in which Bluetooth is not working under Mac OS X 10.5.6; mice and keyboards do not work. This may also be accompanied by the disappearance of the Bluetooth icon in the system menubar. Users have tried deleting the bluetooth preference files, as well as changing batteries and resetting various bluetooth devices. It's clear that the bluetooth receiver in the computer is not working. It seems most users experiencing this problem are running older PowerPC Macs, though this does not rule out the possibility of it happening on Intel machines.
Fixes:
- Remove Bluetooth configurations in the system Users have found that this problem seems to be a result of bluetooth cycling on and off with certain devices configured. As such, they fixed the problem by connecting a USB keyboard and mouse, and then removing all bluetooth devices in the bluetooth system preferences. Re-adding the devices has resulted in flawless functionality.
- Remove third-party bluetooth connectors and restart the computer Users might try uninstalling the software and hardware for third-party bluetooth solutions, and reboot the computer. This could be caused by a driver incompatibility with the OS update, or could be another instance where bluetooth devices need to be reset and reinstalled.
Airport
Some users are having problems connecting to wireless networks after applying Mac OS X 10.5.6. Some have described Airport Extreme connections dropping out, and others have suspected either WEP or WPA protection being the culprit. However, in most cases these problems seem to have self-corrected after a while of usage. As such, it is recommended to restart the computer when this problem happens, and perhaps also run permissions and disk repairs with Disk Utility. Additionally, try resetting the wireless routers the computer is connected to, in order to refresh the connection and IP address lease information in the router.
Some users might get an error claiming no AirPort card is installed, but resetting the PRAM in the computer seems to clear this problem up.
Time Machine
Because Apple updated various components of Time Machine, some users are experiencing various new problems with Time Machine after updating. Backups are failing many times, and other times users are getting "access privileges" errors. Some folks are also getting problems with the Time Machine volume being "read only". For some users the initial backup after the update may take a long time. Time Machine will do a deep traversal of the boot volume to ensure all files are properly accounted for in the backups after the update has been applied, so it is recommended to wait it out if backups seem to take a long time.
Potential Fixes: Reset Time Machine Go to the Time Machine preferences and remove the backup drive from the destination. Then turn off Time Machine and shut down the computer. With the computer off, turn off or unplug the Time Machine drive and wait a few minutes. Then boot the computer and wait for it to load. When the computer is completely loaded, plug the TM drive back in and turn TM back on in the system preferences, reselecting the drive as the backup volume.
Mail Many users are having problems with Mail crashing after the update when trying to read email messages. For some the program will not open, but for others it seems to crash when messages are selected. Some users have been able to fix this problem by removing Mail add-on software, but this does not apply to all affected users, most who do not have any third-party add-ons. As such, users might try the following to fix these problems: Fixes- Reapply the combo update Users should first try downloading and applying the combo update for the 10.5.6 updater. This may fix some problems with various frameworks and other system resources that Mail uses, and is a way to ensure all updated files on the system are refreshed as much as possible without having to reinstall.
- Delete Mail's preferences file These problems could be due to a corruption in the Mail preferences file. As such, users should try removing the "com.apple.Mail.plist" file from the /username/Library/Preferences/ folder, and then relaunch Mail.
- Rebuild Mailboxes Since this problem happens for many when they load messages, launching Mail with the shift key held should allow it to load as this prevents the program from loading messages when the program starts. With the program open, users can select each mailbox and use the rebuild option that's available in the "Mailbox" menu to hopefully fix this problem.
Trackpads
Several MacBook owners have posted issues regarding loss of functionality with their trackpads after updating to OS X version 10.5.6. This seems to be a problem only in the Finder, as Safari and other application seem to recognize multi-touch inputs that do not work in the Finder. This problem seems to be a bug that's affecting earlier MacBook models, and hopefully Apple will supply a fix for it. Currently there are no known fixes that users can try.
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